Wisla Kraków

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About Wisla Kraków

Wisła Kraków is a Association football club based in Kraków, Poland. Wisła contends in Ekstraklasa, the top level of Polish professional football competition. Wisła Kraków is one of the oldest and most successful Polish football clubs. It ranks third in the number of List of Polish football champions won (13) behind Górnik Zabrze and Ruch Chorzów (14) and second as far as all time victories. Wisła was founded in 1906 under the name TS Wisła (pol Towarzystwo Sportowe Wisła).

The club's coat of arms is a white star on a red background crossed by a blue ribbon.

Wisła Kraków has been one of the most successful Association football teams in Poland in recent years, winning 8 Polish league championships since 1999. Along with league titles Wisła also won the Polish Cup on 4 occasions. Wisła also enjoyed some success in European competition in the 1970s, reaching the quarter-finals in the 1978-79 European Cup and winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1969, 1970, and 1973.

History

Birth of the Club 1906

Wisła Kraków was founded in May 1906 when students of the Second Practical School in Kraków, inspired by their professor Tadeusz Łopuszański, formed a football team.

Early Success Polish Champions 1927–1928

In this first, historic season of the League, fight for Championship was decided between two teams – Wisła Kraków and 1.FC Katowice. This rivalry was treated very seriously, not only by the two sides involved, but also by the whole nation. 1.FC was regarded as the team supported by German minority, while Wisła, at the end of this historic season, represented ambitions of all Poles.

Some time in the fall of 1927 in Katowice, an ill-fated game between 1.FC and Wisła took place. Stakes were very high – the winner would become the Champion. Kraków's side won 2–0 and became the Champion. 1.FC finished second, third was Warta Poznań.

In 1949 the club was renamed to Gwardia-Wisła Kraków. In 1955 the club returned to its original name TS Wisła. In 1967 was once again renamed, to GTS Wisła, a name which held until 1990 when the club reverted to its original name: TS Wisła. In the late nineteen-nineties the football (soccer) section of the club was incorporated and was renamed Wisła Kraków SSA.

The club has had its ups and downs, winning national championships and gaining European qualification. It was also relegated to the second division on three occasions. Since the football section has been bought by Tele-Fonika in 1998, the team has been far and away the most successful club in Poland, winning 7 national championships and placing second 3 times, totaling 10 top 2 finishes in 12 years.

On the international stage Wisła has competed in all three of the European competitions. The clubs greatest success came in the 1978/79 season, when Wisla was able to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League eventually to be knocked out by Malmö FF,by an aggregate score of 3:5. Most recently Wisła narrowly missed out on a chance to compete in the 2005/06 Champions League group stage, being defeated 4:5 by Greece side Panathinaikos F.C. after extra time.

Wisła also twice reached the second round of the Cup Winners Cup in 1967/68 and 1984/85, being beaten 0:5 and 2:3 by Hamburger SV and Fortuna Sittard respectively.

"The White Star" has competed ten times in the UEFA Cup.

Stadium

Wisła's Stadium is located at 22 Reymonta Street in Kraków, Poland. The stadium was originally built in 1953 and currently has a capacity of 34,000. The stadium was renovated in 2010, being upgraded to UEFA elite standards. The Wisła Stadium has also been chosen as a reserve venue for the Euro 2012 tournament being organized jointly by Poland and Ukraine. The record attendance of 45,000 at Wisła Stadium came on September 29, 1976 when Wisla defeated Celtic F.C. 2:0. The venue has been a fortress for Wisła, where the team is especially difficult to defeat. It is worth noting that Wisła holds the all-time European football record for home games without a loss in a row. The streak was started following a loss on September 16, 2001, to KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and ended more than five years later on November 11, 2006, when GKS Bełchatów defeated Wisła 4:2. The number of matches without a loss was then settled at 73, overcoming the former Polish record of 48 which belonged to Legia Warsaw. During the 2008–09 season, Wisła lost points at home only twice; tying Łódzki KS and being defeated by Lech Poznań.

Supporters and rivalries

Fan Friendlies

Wisła has tremendous fan relations between Lechia Gdańsk, Śląsk Wrocław and Unia Tarnów. The fellow supporters are eager to support each other during home and away matches, ignoring any Ekstraklasa rivalry. Wisła Kraków supporters are known as some of the most renowned and passionate fans in Poland, if not in Europe. Support at home matches, and even many away matches, includes chants, songs, and overall, advert support.

The Holy War

The first recorded Kraków Derby was contested on September 20, 1908, the game was a 1:1 tie. A historic derby game between Cracovia and Wisła took place on May 8, 1913. It was the first time Polish teams played a championship game officially sanctioned by FIFA. Cracovia won the game 2:1. The most famous derby took place in 1948 when after the first postwar season both Cracovia and Wisła accumulated an even amount of points and the championship had to be decided by an additional game played at a neutral venue. On December 5, 1948 Cracovia defeated Wisła 3:1 and was crowned national champions. As of May 2011, the Kraków derby game between Wisła and Cracovia has been contested 183 times, with Wisła prevailing 82 times, tying 42 times and Cracovia coming away the victor 59 times.

Poland's Derby

The match contested between Wisła Kraków and Legia Warsaw is commonly recognized as the greatest rivalry in Polish club football. The two sides have been the most successful clubs in Poland during the past decade and the rivalry between two of Poland's premier cities of Kraków and Warsaw sparks the rivalry even more. The regional differences of Kraków (South) and Warsaw (North), and the fact that Kraków used to be the capital of Poland before Warsaw (in the years 1041–1596) also add a greater meaning to the match.